While most college students were looking forward to time away from school work, seeing old friends and spending time in the sun this summer, as soon as I looked at my local theater’s roster I knew what I was most excited for: the horror films. 2026 will have a summer of horror like no other, with almost a dozen highly anticipated horror flicks coming to theaters from May to August. The highly buzzed about “Backrooms” movie arrives on May 29, the “Scary Movie” franchise returns on June 5, the queer supernatural horror film “Leviticus” premieres on June 19 and “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma,” director and writer Jane Schoenbrun’s latest film since “I Saw the TV Glow,” hits theaters on August 7. This horror movie run started off with a bang when “Hokum” was released on May 1.
This latest film from Irish writer and director Damian McCarthy, also known for his horror films “Oddity” (2024) and “Caveat” (2020), “Hokum” takes the tried and true ghost story formula at its heart, but twists it just enough at every turn to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The story follows Ohm Bauman (played by Adam Scott), a famous writer who travels to Ireland to scatter his parents’ ashes on the grounds of the hotel where they honeymooned. He soon learns that the honeymoon suite where his parents once stayed has been locked for years, after the owner claimed it is haunted by a witch. After one of the hotel’s employees disappears and all signs point to the mysterious locked room, Ohm takes it on himself to investigate, digging up both literal and figurative ghosts.
A good ghost story is hard to resist, but also hard to find these days. It has to be creepy enough to be engaging, but not too hammed up to be ridiculous. The atmosphere has to be just right, as a ghost story is just as much about its ghost as it is about the place the ghost is haunting. “Hokum” simply nails it. Despite feeling new and fresh, “Hokum” also already feels like a classic. This is a type of story I have seen a hundred times before, I know how it goes, but it is done so effectively and with so much heart and tact that it feels like settling into a warm, satisfying horror blanket.
Ohm is a compelling protagonist. Writers as protagonists in horror movies have been done many times before, but I was surprised to learn that within the first few major scenes of “Hokum,” that Ohm is, for lack of a better word, an asshole. He is dismissive of the workers at the hotel, even burning one bellboy with a hot spoon when he annoys him, and generally disregards the feelings of anyone but himself. I find that an unlikeable protagonist can bolster a ghost story. A bad attitude usually means some metaphorical ghosts haunting them from their past, which is especially true in the case of Ohm. Scott plays the role beautifully, portraying someone deeply spiteful and downtrodden, but with a lingering, heartfelt ache that makes you want to follow him till the end.
The setting, props and atmosphere of this film are incredible. Despite nearly the whole film taking place in the hotel—and a majority of that time spent in the honeymoon suite—the pacing never feels slow, and the plotting always runs smooth and amps up well. This is largely due to the stunning visuals and the prop work. Creepy, detailed stone figurines of screaming children dot the hotel, and recurring factors such as a set of bells, a club swinging clock and, of course, the creaky, faulty dumbwaiter that Ohm must use to travel to the basement. All add to the old, weathered feeling of the hotel, and constant callbacks make the mystery feel more alive. The only times the atmosphere gets bogged down is when “Hokum” falls into the common pitfall of “this horror film is too dark and I cannot see.” These times are few and far between, but it did not stop me from squinting and leaning forward in my seat to try to tell what was going on in some scenes.
“Hokum” is the kind of classic, homey horror movie I did not know I needed right now. The acting, Irish folklore, writing, comedy and cinematography all kept me thoroughly enthralled throughout its runtime, and by the end, I found myself wishing it would run again, a second time, so I could experience the mystery once more. “Hokum” is a ghostly mystery that feels like it has always existed, and always will. This serves as a healthy reminder to watch out for witches and keep some chalk on hand, just in case.
